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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28067058">Music to my ears</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow'>Lyrishadow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Very Merry Mass Effect  2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:01:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,255</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28067058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lyrishadow/pseuds/Lyrishadow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaidan's Mom has asked him to come up with some music for a community event. Shepard has some surprising ideas to help.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kaidan Alenko &amp; Male Shepard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Very Merry Mass Effect  2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043946</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Music to my ears</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Kaidan what are you doing?" Egan Shepard was entertained by the fact that every time he came across Kaidan this week he was doing something new. This particular time he had a guitar in his hand and was strumming.<br/>"Playing carols."<br/>"Playing what?"<br/>"My guitar...Christmas carols."<br/>"You play guitar?" Egan asked raising an eyebrow "I have never seen you play before."<br/>"I learned off a guy at BaAt, something to do."<br/>"Ah." Egan smiled at him then frowned "was he cute?"<br/>"Not like that. Although the girls liked him." Kaidan sighed "Nothing to be jealous of."<br/>"Heck I’m jealous of anyone who got your time." Egan sat down on the sofa nearby. There were a few music books around Kaidan as he was choosing songs to play.<br/>"That’s strangely sweet of you." Kaidan sighed "I’m not very good at these yet."<br/>"What do you have to be good for?"<br/>"The small town we passed through just before we get here, they are having a party and Mom asked if I could get some Christmas music prepared, and I don’t exactly have a lot of Christmas music from being on the Normandy.”<br/>"I play the piano." Egan offered quietly.<br/>"Egan, that’s a hell of a lot more random thing than me playing guitar." <br/>"Heh. My mentor for N7 told me I needed a hobby." The explanation didn’t remove the surprise from Kaidan’s face. “I can help with music if you like.”<br/>"Ok. The hall has a piano. Mom might have her old keyboard around."<br/>"Good. Then you can teach me Christmas carols?"<br/>"Sure. is your singing better than your dancing?"<br/>"My dancing is fine. I don’t know if I can sing?"<br/>"There is always a first," Kaidan replied trying to strum out the tune to ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”<br/>"Ok. What’s the plan?" Egan looked like he was about to launch an attack.<br/>"You can relax and enjoy this you know." Kaidan laughed " we arent killing a reaper here." <br/>"Sorry. I get like that. huh." Egan glanced down "I can read the music if you…"<br/>"Seriously?"<br/>"Hmm?"<br/>"You read music."<br/>"My piano teacher was worse than a drill instructor." Egan revealed, “She insisted.”<br/>There was a pause. “Was she cute?” Kaidan asked with a raised eyebrow, every part of his face saying that it was a revenge question.<br/>“Kaidan, I met you when I was fifteen - I already knew I liked you - and I already knew I definitely didn’t like girls like that.” Egan replied “I waited until I was sure. I waited for you.”<br/>The guitar was lovingly placed in its case before Kaidan crossed the room sitting next to Eagan on the sofa.<br/>“Damn it, I was trying to be mean and you went and..” Egan kissed him.<br/>“Now, what do we need to do about music?” Egan asked again pulling Kaidan into his side as he grabbed a songbook.<br/>“First we find some songs.”<br/>“ I am for anything that isn’t a Reaper.” Egan muttered reading over the notes to a song “Easy enough I think.”<br/>“Mom’s keyboard is in the other room I could just go and…” Egan had a firm grip on Kaidan and was not letting go.<br/>“No, it’s fine. You were going to teach me to sing?”<br/>“Not sure I can teach you that?”<br/>“Sure, let’s just try?” Egan asked, “Same as piano huh?”<br/>“Yes, the notes work the same for singing at least. I think.” Kaidan replied, pointing at the page “I know this one though, my Dad used to sing it…”<br/>“Want to  choose another one?” Egan asked quietly as Kaidan fell silent.<br/>“No. I don’t know?” Kaidan looked down, Egan could already see the effect of the song and they hadn’t even tried. Shaking his head he pointed to another song “What about this one?”<br/>“Winter Wonderland? Sure. It’s an old song, an American one.”<br/>“Well old is good, which means most people will sing along right?” <br/>Kaidan nodded as he smiled at Shepard “Thanks.”<br/>“Ah.. this is a love song?” Egan asked raising an eyebrow as he often did.<br/>“Yeah I guess it is, I never really thought of it…”  Kaidan was looking at Egan closely.<br/>“Then I can sing it to you.” Egan smirked “Finally.”<br/>“Finally?”<br/>“I waited for you since I was 15 Kaidan.” Egan reminded him “Singing should be a piece of cake….” <br/>“Not a Reaper… want me to leave so you can practice…” Kaidan offered.<br/>“Nope, you can suffer through my attempts. “ Egan laughed sitting forward on the chair, trying to keep his back straight.<br/>“You do know how to sing?”<br/>“Yeah.” Egan replied, “I guess, I was in the marine choir for a bit.” <br/>“Another attempt at a hobby?”<br/>“Boredom on an Arcturus rotation.” Egan confessed, “It wasn’t that bad, but aside from the odd pirate episode on the asteroids, not much happens out there.”<br/>“I never did do a rotation completely on Arcturus…” Kaidan replied, “It was always just about to happen when something else happened.”<br/>“Yeah… like a war, or a Reaper or some dumb ass Commander getting sucked into a beacon.”  Egan shook his head rubbing his hand over his neck. “Been a hell of a trip. No wonder no-one believes I can play the piano.”<br/>“Or sing.”Kaidan replied, “You said you could sing.”<br/>“Ok.” Egan nodded cleared his throat and sang with a near-perfect tenor: <br/>“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?<br/>In the lane, snow is glistening<br/>A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight<br/>Walking in a winter wonderland<br/>Gone away, is the bluebird<br/>Here to stay is a new bird<br/>He sings a love song<br/>As we go along walking in a winter wonderland. “</p>
<p>“Holy… Egan!” Kaidan stared at him “How is it you always sang out of tune for every birthday?”<br/>“I didn’t ever see the music for happy birthday, never had it sung as a kid…” Egan frowned “I was guessing the first time.”<br/>“Oh.” Kaidan nodded “I hadn’t actually thought of that.”<br/>“Well sit back and relax Kaidan, let me sing this for you.” <br/>Kaidan sat back with what he called his dumb in-love grin on his face.<br/>“Ïn the meadow we can build a snowman<br/>Then pretend that he is Parson Brown<br/>He'll say, "Are you married?"<br/>We'll say, "No, man,<br/>But you can do the job when you're in town."<br/>Later on we'll conspire, as we dream by the fire<br/>To face unafraid, the plans that we made<br/>Walking in a winter wonderland “ *<br/>Egan grinned at Kaidan listening. <br/>“Hey, Kaidan?”<br/>“Hm?”<br/>“Would you consider marrying me?”<br/>“Is that a proposal Egan?”<br/>“A pre-proposal, I never go in without being ready.” Egan laughed, “I do have a ring but it would be temporary, and I…”<br/>“You really have thought of this.”<br/>“Yeah.” Egan blushed “I was going to wait till New Years’, Gods when Edi gave me that ring, I never imagined I’d make it to New Year.”<br/>“Edi gave you a ring?”<br/>“Yeah. It’s special… called a Victory ring, made from stones from each of the homeworlds.” <br/>“Egan?”<br/>“Hm.” Egan was staring at his hands now, really feeling embarrassed.<br/>“You are the most amazing, generous, kind-hearted guy I know.” Kaidan sighed “You always have been. I’d marry you tomorrow if we could.”<br/>“Was that a yes or a ask me again tomorrow?”<br/>“It was a yes.” Kaidan chuckled “Leaving a way out you know.”<br/>“You will never have to ever again. I am your’s Kaidan.”<br/>“Egan Shepard..” Kaidan looked up into Egan’s eyes “That is music to my ears.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*"Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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